Jamie Carragher: Everton structure is a mess and ‘hard to know what the point is of employing Marcel Brands’

Jamie Carragher has insisted Everton’s lacklustre run of form is not all down to Rafa Benitez - and the structure of the club ‘is a mess’.

The Toffees have hit a dire patch after an encouraging start to the season.

What’s been said

They have failed to win any of their past six games, picking up just two points from a possible 18.

It means that some pressure has come on Benitez following his arrival as Goodison Park manager in June.

However, Carragher believes there are much bigger problems at Everton and the Spaniard has fallen victim of profligacy before taking charge.

Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher said: “Everton’s predicament is a damning indictment of how the club has operated - especially the horrendous recruitment process - since Moshiri became majority shareholder in 2016.

“Around £500 million has been spent, most of it wasted on average, unreliable Premier League players. The absence of three key players in recent weeks - Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Yerry Mina - has exposed the limitations of a squad that does not have the depth to stay in the top 10 without them.

“Given how much has been invested in it, the quality of the squad Benitez inherited is unacceptable.

“Sadly, it is not surprising because the structure at Goodison is a mess, with the owner’s policies haphazard and his managerial shortlists always packed with coaches with vastly different personalities and playing styles.

“Moshiri is an owner who can one week appear to be on the verge of re-appointing David Moyes, only to change his mind with a phone call telling him Carlo Ancelotti is available. It is not the way to run a football club.”

Defending Brands

Director of football Marcel Brands has also copped flak for some of the signings and managerial choices Everton have made in recent years.

Carragher believes the Dutchman’s not been given the responsibility he should have in his role.

He added: “Moshiri appointed Marcel Brands, a sporting director whose track record in the Netherlands was focused on developing young players, identifying future coaching talent and generally overseeing all the football operations. It looked like Everton would follow a European model to rebuild the club.

“Instead, it is hard to believe Brands has had much to do with selecting any of the managers since he took the Everton job.

“In fact, in the last few years, it is hard to know what the point is of employing Brands at Everton.

“Having him alongside a managerial titan such as Ancelotti, and now Benitez, is riddled with contradictions.

“Such coaches go their own way. Ancelotti showed that when pushing to sign James Rodriguez on £250,000 a week.

“Like many of the club’s transfers in the last six years, it proved to be an economic disaster, with the financial fair play repercussions meaning Benitez has his hands tied in the transfer market, spending just £1.5m to sign Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend and Salomon Rondon.

Benitez was clearly responsible for Everton’s shoestring budget deals last summer and will be formulating the list for January. If realistic targets cannot be delivered, it will be no surprise if tensions emerge between Benitez and his director of football.”